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Glite Dictionary
🔨 To carve designs 🧠 To fix deeply
to engrave

to engrave

47 5.2
To cut words and pictures into a hard surface like metal or wood
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈɡreɪv/
translation icon : grabar
  • The first edition was engraved by Gaultier and published by Messager in 1615 in Paris.
  • engraved in stone
  • engraved names
  • engraved inscription

The word style is cousin to stylus, to etch or to engrave.

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Examples

  • Tell her to have the following engraved beneath your name: I will always pay cash.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The stone was for two people, and flowers were engraved around its border and down the middle.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • You could engrave that on a bar of gold and it would increase the value.

  • It took one hour and a half to engrave and the result was excellent.

  • There is ample room on the back for engraving the name of the club and recipient.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Have that, have that engraved on some stationary and sent over.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • And there was a tombstone with her name engraved on it.

    Black Widow (2021)

  • I have it engraved with your initials.

    Jacob's Paradox (2015)

  • It has this symbol engraved on it.

    Becky (2020)

  • She decided to engrave her wedding date on the inside of her ring.

Synonyms

to carve
vsto engrave
272 2.1

Cut shapes and patterns into wood, stone and other hard materials

is more narrowly about making surface cuts for pictures or text
to inscribe
vsto engrave
31 5.3

Put words on something like a book or monument so they last

focuses on cutting or carving into a surface rather than just writing
to etch
vsto engrave
18 5.5

To cut a design into metal or glass with a sharp tool

is the broader act of cutting or carving into a surface
to chase
vsto engrave
  • Specialized
17 9.1

To cut a narrow groove into a wall or other surface

includes decorative cutting but also other surface carving purposes
to letter
vsto engrave
6 7.7

To write words or names on a surface

covers cutting pictures or designs as well as written characters
to scribe
vsto engrave
3 7.4

To mark a surface with a sharp point or write something carefully by hand

involves cutting or carving into the surface rather than simple marking
to grave
vsto engrave
  • Archaic
1 7.7

To cut letters or a design into a hard surface

is the general act of cutting designs into a surface
to etch a design
vsto engrave
6.5

To cut a pattern into glass, metal, or wood

is similar but covers cutting by any method, not only chemical ones
to photoetch
vsto engrave
  • Specialized
9.5

To cut fine lines or patterns into metal using light and chemicals

is the general process of cutting designs, not this specific technique

How Deep

to engrave
47 5.2
to carve
272 2.1
to chisel
19 5.1
to scratch
161 1.1
score
13 7.8

Surface Forms

engrave infinitive
engraved past
engraved past participle
engraving present participle
engraves third person singular

Morphology

engrave = grave (semi-transparent) = en + grave

Formally en- + grave is clear, but the verb 'grave' (to carve) is relatively uncommon and could be confused with the adjective 'grave', so the relation is not fully obvious to learners.

Etymology

Engrave comes from the parts en- meaning 'in' and a root that meant 'to cut' or 'to write', so it originally meant cutting a design or words 'into' the surface of metal, wood, or glass.